About a day after I’d submitted my article to the Irish Times on Cork’s underground, I discovered that the Drop-D site was about to release a free download of music by Cork bands. It’s a particularly good omen that Cork has had the national spotlight shone on its music scene twice within the space of a month, and proof that there is so much going on in the city.
The comprehensive free Drop D release consists of four compilations that span everything from electronica (Toby Kaar) to noise (Mersk) but mainly concentrate on rock and indie bands.
CORK ROCK CITY
If you haven’t already, you can download the quadruple album here.
Drop D say:
Cork‘s music scene has, in recent years, developed into one of the most varied, vibrant and vital anywhere, much less in the country. Artists of all genres co-exist, collaborate and thrive, in venues all around the city, from pubs and churches to abandoned courthouses and on the street. The sense of community and the nurturing of creativity the town offers, in its colleges, practice spaces, record shop, pubs and venues, and at events such as the Jazz Weekend and the Sonic Vigil, truly sets our town out as an example of what independent music can mean when we work together, and how creativity will always triumph over external adversity.
The great thing about this compilation is the breadth of genres – from melodic death metal (For Ruin) to dark blues (Brains), Grindcore (I’ll Eat Your Face), dub (Wiggle) and even drone (Mersk), there is a huge amount covered here.
With a large amount of bands featured on this compilation, as you would expect the quality varies somewhat throughout. There are some polished, high-quality tracks and some that are definitely more than just rough around the edges. But that said, I’d wager the vast majority of the songs were recorded in houses, garages, anywhere other than studios.
This is a snapshot of Cork’s music scene at a particular moment in time – when the country is in turmoil and all we can do is seek refuge in whatever creative interests provide us with a sense of calm. Will all of these bands become household names? No, but that’s not the point.
Download the compilations: Disc 1 – Disc 2 – Disc 3 – Disc 4 – Artwork/Videos/Bios/Extras
(Please note: the downloads are in .rar file format. In order to extract the MP3s from their package, please use WinRAR, downloadable by clicking the link.)
There is a choice of 5 covers featuring the work of Cork artists Allan Kenneally (AJ) and Ricky Sweeney and Edith O’Mahony,
TRACK LISTING:
DISC 1
Hope is Noise – Peace and Quiet
Arm the Elderly – Catwalk Revolution
Elk – Nordic
Hooray for Humans – Chevy Chase
Show Motion Heroes – I Think You Ruined My Life
Versives – Fall from Skies
Time is a Thief – Holding the Gun
Artful Renegade – We Own the Night
When Good Pets Go Bad – Far Cry from Nowhere
Cian Walsh – Waltz Along the Promenade
Jonny Rep – If You Had a Plan
Dmitry Datus – Nervous Badger
New Mind Line – A Different Vein
KVX – Graphs
Ladydoll – Genetics
Fingersmith – Sub
Chunky Planet – Suicide Bomber
Ian Whitty and the Exchange – Not on Your Side
Ugly Beautiful – Weekend
Zombie Computer – Get Over You
DISC 2
Stone Throwing Youths – Too Much Information
Beard-Seeking Missile – Dreamermode
The Shed – Craven Walker
Hey Maker! – Sunshine Goes Away
Mr. Explorer – Born Again
My Evil Ex – (Just a Little) Drop of Poison
Beastmen – El Maniaco Contra El Monstruo
Agitate the Gravel – Interval
Los Langeros – Greasy Coat
The Grunts – Party Weirdo
Honey Badger – TV Psycho
The Grandmothers from Outer Space – Cool, Cool Japanese Schoolgirl
Stanton’s Grave – TV Zombie
Brains – 3ft Wide, 7ft Tall
El Bastardo – My Name is Shite
[r]evolution of a sun – Conspire
Hours of Ours – Hours of Ours
Fivewilldie – Black Cloud
Molde – The Price You Pay to Lose Yourself
DISC 3
People of the Monolith – Harvest
Keith Hynes – Palindrome
Detonate – Trojan Horse
Knock ‘em Dead – Dragged Out to Sea
Defect – Scarred
Yesterday’s Heroes – Revengers
Flatline – Blud Kudgel
Sirocco – Dorchadas
For Ruin – Care of the Dead
I’ll Eat Your Face – Dr. Pancake’s Luxurious Ratskin Housecoat
Plinth – La Dlumbra Klxae Futcheon
Lamp – Temet Nosce
Vita – My Father’s Mean
Sideproject – Outpatients
DISC 4
Letter from Belgium – Inland
The Altered Hours – Daydream Parade
Mersk – The Sea of Okhotsk
Deadlands – One
Lift – The Spyre
Wasps vs. Humans – Failure Got Stuck in Traffic
Spekulativ Fiktion – Motives to Create
Wiggle – Brighten the World
Tenonsaw – Twist
In Valour – Higher
Laserface – Bothar Dunta
Fear Stalks the Land! – Akrs
Commandot – Goddessship
Toby Kaar – Crank
Generic People – Generic People
Robin Renwick – Inetro
VIDEO:
Hope is Noise – Relation
I’ll Eat Your Face – Rotting Clip
Elk – Bad Cat
The Grandmothers From Outer Space – Cool, Cool Japanese Schoolgirl
